In many psychological problem selfknowledge is an essential factor. You can hear about this term a lot recently, but it is not a very well defined one. It sounds like a static knowledge, which once gained, then the person is "ready". However, it is not so. Getting to know ourselves is a lifelong story. Of course, and fortunately, we are not constantly thinking solely about ourselves. Also, sometimes we need to alter the picture we have about us. From time to time, it is wise to stop for a moment, to reflect on us, on our relationships.
Selfknowledge is linked to many things in life, it helps to understand why we are doing things that we dont want, why we are not doing what we want, why are we overreacting in certain situations etc. If we find the reasons, change inside us can slowly, gradually start and we will be also able to modify our behaviour. (Here I mean inner and manifest behaviour.)
Real, appropriate selfknowledge can help:
- understand our relatioships
- maintening healthier, more relaxed mind
- changing attitude and behaviour
- facing new challenges
- being more firm in certain important questions
Selfknowledge is a social process, it does not exist in a social vacum. It is also relational knowledge, it is gained from communication. You need various situations, conflicts, people relating and reacting to you, mirroring you. It is not always a joyful process, because it is difficult and can be painful to look into the mirror and see our misstakes, conflicts, our sins, our cheating on ourselves (and on others). But on the long run realistic selfknowledge can help you progress and be happy in life.
Individual or group therapy is about communication, it is basically communicating with each other. Both are providing space for safe, in depth self-exploration.
Communication skills and selfknowledge are „friends”. To communicate, to tell, explain, to give a message or receive one, to understand others is necessary for us to become experienced in ourselves, in the social sphere and in the world. Communication is an essential human drive – newborns are communicating right away. But communication skills are also learned and shaped (or distorted) by experiences – yet at the same time these skills are trainable. It is part of my selfknowledge to have an idea how I am communicating. But a lot of factors are modifing our communication, how, when, why, in what culture, in what country, in what age we are talking.
Individual and/or grour settings of psychotherapy, psychological work, counseling are based on dialoge, which if is working well, efforts are worth, problems get solved, personality is being enriched, being strengthened.